A cold Pacific storm arrived in San Diego County on Monday,
bringing snow to Palomar Mountain, water spouts off the coast and
flooding on local roads.

The wet weather, which is now expected to stick around until
late Tuesday afternoon, has contributed to at least one fatal
accident on North County's freeways. And while the area's
backcountry roads remained open as of early Monday afternoon, some
city roads ---- such as Carlsbad's Melrose Avenue near Palomar
Airport Road, and part of Las Posas Road in San Marcos ---- were
flooded, authorities said.

Snow was reported in local mountains, including about 5 inches
at Palomar Mountain. Tire chains were required for vehicles
traveling above 4,000 feet on Palomar Mountain, according to the
county's Department of Public Works.

"Slow down," was the advice from Officer Chris Parent of the
California Highway Patrol, after he responded to a fatal
weather-related wreck on south Interstate 15 in Escondido Monday
morning.

That two car accident left a 48-year-old Escondido man dead, and
two others with injuries.

Between midnight and 3 p.m., there were 165 traffic accidents
reported on San Diego County highways and freeways, according to
the CHP, which typically reports between 50 and 75 crashes on an
average day.

Early on Monday, rain from the winter storm moved slowly inland
from the coast during the morning commute, becoming heavy at times,
according to the National Weather Service. The California Highway
Patrol reported that rainfall struck the North County about 6
a.m.

The county's department of Environmental Health asked swimmers
and surfers to stay out of the ocean for the next 72 hours because
of urban runoff from the rain.

Urban runoff may contain large amounts of bacteria from various
sources, including animal waste, soil and decomposing vegetation,
said Mark McPherson, chief of the department's land and water
quality division.

Forecasters expect the storm to linger into late Tuesday
afternoon, a bit longer than first expected, said Mike Watkins, a
forecaster with the weather service.

About 3 p.m., the storm had dropped nearly an inch of rain at
Carlsbad's McClellan-Palomar Airport, according to the weather
service. Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vista received about two-thirds of
an inch. Escondido got about a half inch of rain, the weather
service said.

There may be several lulls in the storm, but don't be fooled,
Watkins said: Showers will arrive intermittently overnight and
through much of Tuesday.

The forecaster said along with snow in the mountains, the storm
brought water spouts off North County's coast caused by strong
winds.

By the time the wet weather leaves, rainfall totals should range
from up to three-quarters of an inch on the coast to an inch and a
half inland, the forecaster said.

Between 10 and 20 inches of snow were expected in the mountains
above 6,000 feet, and several inches of snow could fall in areas
between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, Watkins said.

Snow was falling at Palomar Mountain by 8 a.m., said Palomar
Mountain Fire Chief George Lucia, who lives near the top of the
6,000-foot mountain northeast of Valley Center.

"If you're coming to the mountains and you're not used to it,
make sure you use chains because they're required once you head up
the grades," the chief warned.

The storm had not closed any of North County's backcountry roads
as of about 4 p.m., according to San Diego County's public works
department. The county posts road updates and alerts at
http://sdcdpw.org/emergency
.

For mountain residents and travelers, the weather service had
this advisory: "Be prepared for hazardous winter weather conditions
and possible road closures. If possible, carry chains and take
extra food and clothing."